Mortalkin
Mortalkin are the second most populace classification of living beings, just beneath Spiritkin. They have limited lifespans and are comparatively fragile. The arrival of the divines upon the Mortal Plane caused the ultimate extinction of most mortal races. A few cultures still thrive, pulling themselves from the brink of destruction. Major Races There are three major races that survived the war that broke apart the Sacred Empire. *Avudar *Hob *Torg Avudar The Avudar people were in their prime when the divine ones discovered the Mortal Plane. Federations, empires, and many other governing bodies were spread across the universe; coexisting in relative peace. Even before the Lord of Souls dispersed himself, allowing mortal access to magic, the Avudar created arcane engines to expand and thrive across the Mortal Plane.The Rending halted this expansion and brought death or enslavement to most Avudar worlds. The Glass Harvest was a devastating, industrial campaign carried out by the Crystalline Lord, starting just after the formation of the Sacred Empire. Entire worlds were stripped of life, their inhabitants reduced to soul energy to fuel the Crystalline Lord's creation of Crys. Avudar bodies contain an especially high concentration of soul, making their worlds highest priority for the Glass Harvest. Especially fine examples of Avudar physiology were spared, these specimens were interred in breeding camps to repopulate the world for future harvest. If an excess of breeding stock was found on a planet, they were relocted to military camps where they became battlemages in service of the Sacred Empire. These Avudar battlemages were used as fodder in the Divine War, thrown against superior forces or left to cover retreats. Daemons, Avudar cultists radically altered by their divine masters, were set over the enslaved worlds. They were charged with the success of the breeding program, the quelling of rebellion, and stewardship of planatary resources. Despite the horrors inflicted them, the Avudar survived. This is attributed to the formation of SIAR and the rebellion of the Daemon, Nix. Most Avudar now dwell upon their ancient homworld, Roevel. They are quickly rising in power once again, intent on carrying out retribution upon the divines with the aid of SIAR. Hob Hob were created on Old Terros by Hobar as the race chosen to populate the new world. They dwelt above and below, filling it's jungles, valleys, and mountains. The were divided into tribes, led by a chief and shaman. The chief ruled over the hunters, gatherers, and warriors. The shaman contended with the spirits that filled Old Terros, ensuring their benevolence. In time, the spirit kings began making pacts with the shaman. The shaman would insite war between the Hob tribes, allowing the spirits to absorb the souls of the fallen. In return, the spirits would allow the shaman to become a spirit kings themselves on death. This closely guarded secret continued until the tribal system broke down. The shaman were fierce defenders of the tribal way of life and fought the industrial revolution that brought an end to the spirit's warmongering. The Terros Purge resulted in a war between the Hobs and the spiritkin. The shamans were slain and the Hobs emerged victorious. The tribes formed into city states which continued to prosper until the destruction of Old Terros. Just before the Terros Purge, SIAR discovered the existence and origin of the Hobs. Roevel was in dire need of labourers and the Avudar were nearing extinction. Yalcen, the founder of SIAR, created a breed of Hob to serve as a slave race for his people. These Roevel Hobs do not have soul chambers, and are not capable of arcane manipulation. This change made it almost impossible for them to revolt against their masters. Further changes were introduced to increase their hardiness; claws replaced fingernails, their digestive system can handle raw meat, and their hide is more durable than leather. When the Terros Hobs escaped the destruction of Old Terros and arrived upon Roevel, they were horrified to find their kin enslaved. They pressured SIAR to outlaw slavery and the Roevel Hobs were freed, to much detriment. Many Roevel Hobs, unable to use magic, fell into shamanism and cause much destruction in the name of the spirit kings to this day. Torg The primal Torg evolved on Urvel, the cold moon of Roevel. Their isolation protected them from the effects of the Divine War, though it did not offer protection from themselves. The clans warred constantly for the scarce natural resources, the majority of which was claimed by the Anooven anyway. A strange and sudden blight struck Urvel, and the Torg were forced to destroy the Anooven in order to survive. This monumental act of genocide was only made possible when a hero known as the Outsider united the clans against their racial foe. Once the Anooven were broken, Skax of the Nix dynasty, arrived to heal the Urvel's blight. The healing was slow and many Torg grew impatient with Skax. They cut a deal with the Divine of Unity to escape the moon to Roevel's surface. In exchange, these Exiles gave up the clan way of life and attempted to assimilate into Avudar society. Ultimately they would never integrate fully, keeping to themselves on the isle of Droven. They settled in the crumbling city of Fiirnost, capital of the ruined Zelji Empire. Those who remained on Urvel with Skax came to be known as Old Blood. Eventually a Torg known as Rond broke the Exile's pact with the Divine of Unity. He formed his own clan and began raiding the northern settlements and Fiirnost itself. The Divine of Unity appeared to challenge Rond's descision. Rond answered these challenges by striking down the divine's physical avatar. Appalled by the Torg's irreverence, the Divine of Unity cursed him and left. Rond's actions spurred many other Exile clans to rise. To push the clans from Droven and prove their loyalty to the Divine of Unity, the Exiles formed the Kierv Knighthood. The Kierv knights drove the clans off the isle and into the Frostern Tundra, where they remain still. However, Clan Rond could not be defeated and they still hold the western shore of Droven. The division between Exiles and Old Blood continues to grow and the Frozen Clans of Roevel are growing more dangerous with every season.Minor Races Minor Races Many minor races exist, riding in the wake of divines and powerful factions. *Anooven *Elementals *Goosha *Ryuuk *Shykie *Su Category:Race